Card mailing cabinet and desk combination



Dec. 12, 1961 H. J. SMITH 3,012,348

CARD MAILING CABINET AND DESK COMBINATION Filed June 11, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR HARVEY J. SMITH ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1961 H. J. SMITH 3,012,348

CARD MAILING CABINET AND DESK COMBINATION Filed June 11, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 P b P P P P b D p D P g INVENTOR. E HARVEY J.SM1THATTORNEY United States Patent Gfiice 3,612,348 Patented Dec. 12, 1961This invention relates to a follow-up postal card rack and auxiliaryequipment and relates more particularly to a fixture for use in servicestations which will facilitate orderly and daily filing and monthlystorage of numerous postal cards for mailing to service station patronsinforming them that a month or a specific period of time has elapsedsince the last motor check-up, lubrication, motor oil change or otherregularly prescribed maintenance has been performed on the customersautomobile. The apparatus of this invention further contemplates acompact combination postal card storage rack and writing desk.

For optimum vehicle operation and less costly maintenance motorists areconstantly advised to have their cars lubricated regularly and the motoroil changed after a prescribed number of miles from the previous motoroil change. With this objective it has been found desirable to informservice station customers periodically by some inexpensive andeffortless manner that a specific time has elapsed since the last engineinspection or other servicing has been performed and also to recommendthat servicing at this particular time is advisable.

Therefore, the invention has as an objective a postal card follow-uprack for use particularly in automotive service stations to file indesignated dated receptacles customer-addressd postal cards which cardswhen mailed will remind the addressee of the expiration of a specificperiod of time since the last automotive service was performed.

Another objective of this invention is the provision of a combinationdepository for storing-follow-up postal cards and a compact desk forwriting supported therefrom.

A further objective of this invention is to provide a convenient andcompact combination postal card storage file designating each day of themonth on which postal cards deposited within individual datedcard-receiving pockets are to be removed for mailing to customers and adesk for writing and storage of lubrication servicing data and relativematerials.

Yet another objective of this invention contemplates the provision of apostal card follow-up rack having a series of open top postal cardreceiving pockets with each pocket being identified by a numbercorresponding to the day of the month in which the cards have beendeposited or some other suitable designation.

This invention further contemplates a complete and compact automotiveservicing wall or table mountable fixture in which a vertical backboardsupports a series of postal card-receiving pockets each individuallyidentified by the day of the month and a horizontal desk and paperstorage compartment supported from the backboard.

Other and further objects of this novel follow-up and service cabinetwill become more readily apparent as the invention becomes betterunderstood from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination card mailing rack and adesk fixture unit for wall mounting embodying the present inventiveconcept;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the combination unit of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the lower section of thecombination card rack and desk unit with the card receiving pocketsomitted from the rack and showing the desk drawer in the fully openposition, and illustrating auxiliary equipment on the desk writingsurface;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the upper section of a card rackbackboard illustrating several card receiving pockets mounted thereon;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the upper portion of a card rackbackboard;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a full card-receiving trough elementprior to mounting to a backboard; and

FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the upper section of a troughdivider partition.

The postal card follow-up rack and desk'combination of the presentinvention is designed to facilitate a mail follow-up system and isintended so that a postal card may be simultaneously addressed while aservice station attendant fills out, on the desk portion of thecombination fixture, a completed lubrication check list for servicing ofa motor vehicle and then the addressed card is deposited within a datedpostal card receiving pocket or bin from out of a group of pockets eachof which is numbered to come spond to the day of the calendar month. Inthe next succeeding month, the particular addressed card filled out inthe preceding month, along with other addressed cards deposited withinthe same trough, will be mailed to notify the addressee that certainmaintenance is advisable as a month has elapsed since the last check-up.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated and particularly to FIGS. 1 through 3, there isshown a rectangularly-shaped vertical backboard or panel 10 with aperimetrical frame 11 mounted at the rear of the horizontal desk 12 onthe desk top 13. A series of open top postal card-receiving pockets 14is horizontally mounted in parallel and partially nested condition onthe front of the backboard 10 so as to expose an adequate portion of theopen top of each pocket to introduce a number of postal cards into theslots 15.

Each of the pockets or bins 14 is formed of sheet metal with adownwardly inclined continuous front wall 16, truncated side walls 17and 18, and a narrow ledge forming the bottom or base 19 of each pocket,with the side walls and base being turned inwardly and substantiallynormal to the front Wall. A suitable number of panelsecuring tabs orlugs 29 project beyond the terminal panel-engaging edges of the bottomand side walls, as illustrated more clearly in FIG. 7. For greatercompactness, the side walls 17 and 18 are relieved to form the depthlimiting edges 22 in order to permit the troughs to be partially nestedwithin each other.

Backboard or panel 10 is provided with two laterally spaced rows ofvertically aligned lug receiving openings 23 and 24 which cooperativelyreceive the side wall projecting lugs 28 therein, and vertically spacedhorizontal rows of lug receiving openings 25 for the introduction of thelugs 29 projecting from the base 19. It has been found desirable tofabricate the troughs 14 so that the front wall 16 is of sufiicienthorizontal length to eliminate assembling difiiculties as will be morereadily apparent hereinafter. However, it is also desirable to providean adequate border and advertising space at the top of the panel 10.

A vertical partition member 26 is inserted into the panel over thecentral portion of the stacked troughs by introducing the end tabs 27into partition member lugreceiving openings 28. Partition member 26 hasa narrow front wall 29 and side walls 30 and 31 each of which has asaw-tooth configuration. The top end portion 32 of the partition member26 is turned inwardly as shown in 3 FIG. 8 with the tabs 27 extendingthrough the panel openings 28 and the bottom end portion (not shown) isturned substantially in the same manner for fastening to the backboard.

In assembling the troughs and partition member onto the backboard thelugs are introduced into their corresponding openings, thereafter thetabs are bent against the rear of the backboard to secure the troughsand partition member in position. There is thus formed from the singleelongated trough two individual separated postal card receiving pocketsor bins 35 and 36 each of which will accommodate a conventional sizepostal card 37 therein. Obviously the length of the pockets may vary toaccommodate other types and size cards.

Fastened as -by welding or other suitable means to the rear of thebackboard is a backboard hanger member 37 in which there are slottedholes38 for flush mounting the backboard to a vertical wall orpartition.

On the front of the backboard along the vertical borders a numeralcorresponding to the day of the month serves to identify each of theseparate pockets arranged consecutively, as clearly shown in FIG. 1.While only fifteen full width troughs 14 are illustrated to form thirtyindividual postal card-receiving pockets numbered from 1 through 30,consecutively (only numerals 1 through 24 being shown in P16. 1) the binbearing the number 30 will also include the number 31 for those calendarmonths having 31 days.

A horizontal desk '12 having the rectangular writing surface 13'supports the base of the backboard thereon with the backboard beingsecurely maintained by means of the rounded side bracket plates 38 and39. Bracket plates 38 and 39 extend from positions intermediate thesides of the desk 12 and backboard 1t) and are each fastened thereto bysuitable fastening screws 40, or the like. Auxiliary verticalslot-forming side plates 41 and 42 having rear and bottom flanged edges43 and 44 are mounted together with the bracket plates to form verticalpockets 45 at the sides of the unit.

The desk 12 is a shallow depth cabinet preferably made of sheet metalwith a bottom 46, side walls 47 rear wall 48 and a drawer receivingfront wall 49. The slidable drawer 40 is provided with an interiorpartition 51 to divide the drawer into front and rear compartments forstoring postal cards and servicing data. The front section 52 of thedrawer side 53 is offset below the rear section and a verticallug-receiving slot 54 is provided adjacent to the drawer front panel 55.

Lock 57 is mounted in the desk front wall 49 and has a key-operateddrawer locking disk 58 from which disk a lug 59 protrudes. In thevertical position of the lug 59, shown in FIG. 4, the drawer 59 may befully removed from the cabinet. Upon rotating the pin tumbler within thelock 57 by means of a key, the disk 58 may be rotated so the lug willengage in the offset section forward of the rear section of the drawerside 53 to limit drawer withdrawal. By rotating the pin tumblerone-quarter turn counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 4 withthe drawer in the closed position, the disk lug 59 will be introducedinto the slot 54 to lock the closed drawer.

Auxiliary attachments such as the clipboard 60 which may be storedwithin the drawer 50 when not in use and a lubricationdata-tag-receivingtray 61 are shown on the desk top in FIG. 4. Orderbooks and lubrication charts may be retained readily within the verticalstorage slots 45 as well as within the drawer 50.

In those cases where adequate wall space is provided within alubrication bay within the service station, the combination fixture unitmay be mounted directly to a wall by means of the hanger 37 and theangle brackets 64 which reach downwardly from a position intermediatethe bottom of the desk, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. For table topmounting the brackets 64 may be omitted.

Obviously many modifications and variations may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of the postal card receiving bins and thecontour thereof as well as the arrangement of the bockboard and desk inthe light of the above teachings without departing from the real spiritand purpose of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood thatwithin the scope of the appended claims many modified forms of structureas well as the use of mechanical equivalents may be reasonably includedand modifications are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A postal card follow-up rack of the character described comprising arectangularly-shaped backboard having a pair of vertical rows ofopenings laterally spaced from each other and horizontal rows ofopenings vertically spaced from each other, open top postalcard-receiving troughs horizontally mounted on said backboard, each ofsaid troughs having a downwardly inclined front wall, side walls and abottom, said troughs being so constructed and arranged as to bepartially nestable within each other and to provide an open slot betweennested troughs, said side walls and bottom wall having backboardfastening tabs thereon for introduction into said vertical andhorizontal openings, a vertical trough partition member'for dividingeach of said troughs into a pair of separate compartments, andidentification markings for consecutively numbering the troughs.

2. A postal card follow-up rack of the character described comprising arectangularly-shaped backboard having vertical rows of openingslaterally spaced from each other and horizontal rows of openingsvertically spaced from each other, open top postal card-receivingtroughs horizontally mounted on said backboard, said troughs being soconstructed and arranged as to be partially nestable within each otherforming an entrance slot for cards between troughs, said troughs havingprojecting tabs thereon for introduction into said vertical andhorizontal openingsfor fastening the troughs to said backboard, and avertical trough partition member for dividing said troughs into aplurality of separate card-receiving pockets corresponding in number tothe days of a calendar month.

References Cited in the file or" this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D.181,235 Smith Oct. 15, 1957 431,621 Rankin July 8, 1890 700,465 WillyMay 20, 1902 736,879 Robinson Aug. "18, 1903 1,316,719 Hall Sept. 23,1919 1,455,192 Dumont May 15, 1923 1,507,169 Greenwell Sept. 2, 19241,592,497 Mays July 13, 1926 2,016,431 Hofman Oct. 8, 1935 2,119,609Stiles June 7, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,881 Great Britain 1894

